US Mourns Loss of Queen Elizabeth II, Officials Praise Her Work to Strengthen Alliance

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden, members of his cabinet, and congressional leaders mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, and many shared similar sentiments crediting her for strengthening the US-UK alliance.

The 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth passed away earlier in the day at Balmoral Castle in Scotland surrounded by her family. Her eldest son, Charles III, will officially become the King on Friday. The Queen leaves behind four children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era... Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special," Biden said in a press release.

Biden added that in the years ahead, the United States looks forward to continuing a close friendship with the United Kingdom's King and Queen Consort.

Biden canceled remarks he was scheduled to give Thursday afternoon after the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He ordered US flags at the White House and all public buildings, grounds, military posts and naval stations to be flown at half-staff in honor of Queen Elizabeth until she is buried.

Later in the day, Biden went to the UK embassy in Washington to sign a condolence book for the queen.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin paid his respects to the Queen and highlighted her leadership on the world stage.

"On the global stage, Queen Elizabeth II was a source of calm and strength over decades of change for country and the world," Austin said in a statement. "She helped to fortify the Alliance between our two great democracies, and with her steady leadership, the United Kingdom helped to build and maintain the rules-based international order, rooted in cooperation and democratic values."

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also expressed sympathy for the Queen's passing at the top of her remarks during a press conference in Michigan.

"I just heard the sad news that the Queen of England has passed, and I want to say that our thoughts are with her family and with the people of the United Kingdom," Yellen said.

US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi ordered the flags of the US Capitol to be flown at half-staff due to the passing of UK Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II embodied the highest spirit of civic duty, earning the reverence of the UK people and the respect of the world, Pelosi said in a statement.

"Her Majesty capably shepherded the United Kingdom through great turbulence and transition," Pelosi said. "As the Head of the Commonwealth, she helped advance a new global order of security, prosperity and peace."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said during remarks on the Senate floor that it is hard to fathom that today the world must bid farewell to the Queen. He pointed out that she was the first British monarch to address a joint session of Congress, which she did in 1991 when George H. W. Bush was US president.

US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Queen offered a contemporary world a living master class it needed badly, guiding venerable institutions through modern times using timeless virtues like duty, dignity, and sacrifice.

"The decades of Her Majesty's reign saw an intense deepening of the special relationship and close bond between the United States and the United Kingdom," McConnell said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in a statement also highlighted the Queen's selfless leadership, emphasizing that she led the people of the United Kingdom with grace and showed what servant-leadership means in principle and practice.

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise said the Queen provided the United Kingdom with steady leadership in times of economic turbulence, war, and personal loss.

Former US President Donald Trump also gave his respects to the Queen and her family.

"Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief. Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain," Trump said in a statement.

Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered for her faithfulness to her country and devotion to fellow countrymen and women, according to the statement.

In addition to Biden, other world leaders rushed to express their condolences, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and EU chief Charles Michel being among the first.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in offering his condolences to Charles III, said the most important events of recent UK history "are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty."

"For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her people, as well as authority on the world stage. I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this difficult, irreparable loss," Putin said, as quoted by the Kremlin.

With Steady Presence Gone, Uncertainty Looms

Concerns about the health of the Queen grew over the past few months, especially after it was confirmed that the UK's longest-reigning monarch had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on February 20.

The royal pulled out of the opening of the UK Parliament earlier this year, and later skipped the Commonwealth Games, with Buckingham Palace citing "mobility issues."

Former officials and experts have noted that the country will feel the absence of her enduring presence in British culture and history, which has marked the country for decades.

During World War 2, she served in the women's branch of the British Army, making her the first woman in the Royal family to be an active duty member of the British Armed Forces.

She ascended the throne in 1952 during the Truman administration in wake of the end of World War 2. During the Queen's 70-year reign, she met every US president except President Lyndon B. Johnson.

But now, after serving as a stable constant for so many years, the UK faces an uncertain future without her, especially considering that her death comes just two days after she publicly appointed new Conservative Party leader Liz Truss as her 15th prime minister.

Former UK Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford predicted that the nation, in its entirety, will be united in mourning and all political differences will be put to one side - at least temporarily.

However, the nation will soon have to deal with the reality of having new, untested leadership, Ford added.

"Now the nation has, in the blink of an eye, a neophyte King and a neophyte prime minister," Ford told Sputnik. "The Queen's steadying presence will be missed."